Lady of the Manor
by cleotheo
Summary: After not hearing from their old friend, Hermione Granger in years, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are shocked to read a newspaper article about her stepping into the late Narcissa Malfoy's shoes as the new Lady of Malfoy Manor. But is there more to the story than meets the eye, or has Hermione really replaced Narcissa in all aspects? Short reunion style story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Welcome to my new short reunion story – Lady of the Manor. The story has 6 chapters and updates will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I hope you all enjoy it.**

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Harry Potter was enjoying a quiet Sunday breakfast with his wife, Ginny, as the pair of them made the most of having a child free weekend as their two sons were with Ginny's parents for a couple of days. Truth be told, the couple were trying for a third child, the much longed for daughter to complete their family, and they had spent most of their weekend in bed. However, they were up and fully clothed as they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.

"Maybe we could go for a walk before we go and pick up the boys," Harry suggested to his wife.

"That sounds nice," Ginny replied with a smile, before turning back to the morning's edition of The Daily Prophet, specifically the sport section at the back.

It was only recently that Ginny had given up professional quidditch, after being one of the very few witches who had carried on playing the game after having children, and Harry knew she was missing the buzz of playing professional quidditch. She was currently in talks with the editor of The Daily Prophet about becoming a quidditch reporter, but Harry suspected that the position wouldn't be as glamorous as Ginny would have liked. As much as Harry loved and adored his wife, he wasn't blind to her faults, and he was well aware that she loved attention and revelled in being a well-known face in Wizarding Britain.

Harry himself was also a well-known wizard, but unlike his wife, he wasn't a fan of the attention. He understood that his part in bringing down Voldemort a decade ago made him a war hero, but he wasn't keen on the celebrity status that came along with it. But whether he liked it or not, he was famous and there was nothing the press liked more than writing a story about 'The Boy Who Lived'. So over the years, Harry had learnt to accept that elements of his private life were going to be splashed all over the papers.

As Ginny finished up with the sport and turned to her second favourite section of the paper, the gossip and society section, Harry began to gather the dirty dishes. However, he hadn't even began to start the washing up when his wife let out a loud gasp. Using magic to start the washing-up, Harry turned back to the kitchen table, about to remind Ginny that she couldn't believe everything she read in The Daily Prophet, especially in the gossip section.

There was a time Harry was very wary of reporters following his run-ins with Rita Skeeter, but he'd learnt over the years that most journalists were professionals who checked their facts before printing a story. However, there was still a not so honest contingent out there, and most of them peddled their rubbish in the gossip sections. It was only the previous year that Harry had been pictured at a fancy hotel with his best friend's wife, and articles had implied that he and Lavender were having a sordid affair. In fact they'd been planning a surprise for Ron's birthday, but thanks to the articles the surprise was ruined, and of course there were still those who did still think that Harry had slept with his best friend's wife.

"You have to see this, Harry," Ginny said, before Harry could offer his advice.

"I'm really not interested in gossip, Ginny," Harry replied with a sigh. "Especially as it'll all be lies or distorted facts. I say let people think what they want about us, we know the truth."

"It's not about us," Ginny said. "It's about Hermione."

At the mention of his old friend, Harry's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't seen or heard from Hermione in years, and he never read about her in the papers as she no longer resided in Wizarding Britain. There was a time Hermione was a major part of his life, and truth be told Harry still thought of her all the time, but their lives had gone their separate ways, in part due to her break-up with Ron.

After the war it had been inevitable that Hermione and Ron would get together, and even though Harry had always had his reservations about their compatibility, he was delighted to be proved wrong as the pair had been very happy together. However, it was only a brief honeymoon period as cracks started to show within months as it became clear they both wanted very different things out of life. Ron was content to settle down with a secure job as an Auror alongside Harry, and build a solid domestic life with Hermione. And while Hermione was quite happy with the idea of having children one day, she'd wanted to travel and experience life before settling down with a dull job and children to look after.

The differences in what they wanted from life led to some pretty nasty rows, and as their relationship broke down, Ron accused Hermione of looking down on him and his family. He accused her of thinking she was better than the Weasleys. Of course, Harry knew that Hermione would never look down on a family she cared so deeply for, but Ron wouldn't listen to reason. And his theory was only compounded in his eyes when Hermione got a new job liaising with foreign Ministries, which meant travelling the world as an ambassador for Wizarding Britain. To Ron it was proof that Hermione wanted more than he could offer, and she was taking the job to escape from him and his family.

Truthfully, Hermione's job shouldn't have led to Harry losing touch with her. Even though she travelled for most of the year, she was based in London and was back home every few months. Harry suspected that to Hermione it seemed he had taken Ron's side in their break-up, but truthfully he hadn't taken anyone's side. It was just that he worked alongside Ron, was involved with his sister, was a surrogate part of the Weasley family, and therefore saw Ron every day as opposed to Hermione, who was travelling all the time.

Not that contact dropped off as soon as Hermione took the job. For months she and Harry wrote to each other, and Harry even visited her a couple of time. However, between their two demanding jobs and his life with Ginny, they did end up losing touch. Especially as the more Hermione progressed in her job, the less time she was spending in London. In fact just over a year after she'd taken the position, she gave up her flat as she wasn't in the country enough of the year to warrant keeping it. It was far easier for her to stay in a hotel when she was in England. Although when the last time she was in England was, Harry wasn't sure. It had been years since he'd seen her at the Ministry, and to be honest, Harry no longer knew if she still worked for the British Ministry.

"Harry," Ginny called, breaking into her husbands thoughts. "Do you want to see the paper?"

"I do," Harry answered, settling back in his seat and taking the paper from his wife.

As his attention fell on the article his wife had been reading, Harry's eyes were drawn to the large picture which accompanied the report. The picture was of Hermione, her hair pinned back elegantly, wearing a stunning deep blue evening gown, standing beside a piano and smiling serenely. Harry was no expert, but the dress looked expensive, and she was adorned with genuine looking diamonds, including a sparkling engagement ring which was on full display.

Harry studied the picture for a long time, admiring how beautiful and happy Hermione looked. Even though he hadn't seen Hermione for years, he felt he knew he well enough to be able to tell that she looked happy. In fact she looked happier than Harry had ever seen her. Just looking at the picture, you could tell you were looking at a witch completely satisfied with her life.

Pleased that things seemed to have worked out for Hermione, Harry tore his gaze away from the picture and took in the blaring headline. Only as he read the headline – _**The New Lady of Malfoy Manor**_ – time seemed to stand still and nothing made sense. Now he could see why Ginny was so taken aback by the article.

Gathering his senses, Harry scanned the first paragraph of the article, which confirmed that Hermione was indeed a Malfoy. Not only that, but she was being called the new Lady of the Manor, and she had officially taken over as patron of the Malfoys charity – Hope.

The charity, which helped children, had been set up after the war by Narcissa Malfoy, and like a lot of people, Harry had been sceptical and wondered if it was just a ploy to help the Malfoys restore their reputation after it was destroyed during the war. But Harry had attended one of their early events, and he'd seen with his own eyes that Narcissa's desire to help was genuine. In fact they'd had a long talk and Narcissa confessed that it had almost killed her being unable to help her own child during the war, so it was helping her deal with the effects of the war by being able to help other children.

Once he'd been sure the charity was genuine, and wasn't a publicity stunt from the Malfoys, Harry had been a huge supporter of Hope, and had attended several of their events. However, the charity hadn't been as prominent over the last few years as three and a half years ago, Narcissa had fallen ill and tragically died. The charity had kept going after Narcissa's death, but it had been missing the element that had made it so special, namely Narcissa herself. But now it would appear the charity had a new patron, and a new face to help raise funds.

In fact as Harry read on, it was revealed that Hope was throwing its first major event since Narcissa's death. On the first of August, a garden party was being held at Malfoy Manor itself. Harry couldn't recall any function taking place at the manor before, and he could only assume it was partly to introduce Hermione as the newest Malfoy to the wizarding public.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked, obviously dying to get her husband's opinion on the story.

"I think I can hardly believe Hermione is a Malfoy," Harry muttered.

"I know," Ginny agreed. "Who would have thought she would end up married to Lucius Malfoy?"

"Where does it say she's married to Lucius?" Harry frowned, rescanning the article for any mention of Lucius. However, the article wasn't exactly brimming with details and aside from calling Hermione 'Mrs Malfoy', and announcing her as the new patron of Hope, the article was very scare on actual details.

"Who else would she be married to?" Ginny questioned with a shrug. "Not only is she taking Narcissa's position at the charity, she's also described as the new Lady of the Manor. Last time I checked, Lucius Malfoy was still the owner of Malfoy Manor."

"I guess," Harry muttered, trying to get his head around Hermione being married to Lucius. Although the other alternative, that she was married to Draco, was just as hard to believe.

"There's no guessing about it," Ginny declared confidently. "I might have said she was married to Draco, but that article doesn't read like that. It reads as though she's taking Narcissa's place, both with the charity and at the manor. Besides, Malfoy doesn't even live in this country anymore."

"True," Harry agreed with a nod.

Less than six months after the war, Draco had left Wizarding Britain, and aside from his mother's funeral, he hadn't been seen in the country since. And Harry certainly hadn't heard anything about him returning and taking over at Malfoy Manor. Ginny was right, Lucius was still head of the Malfoy family, and the article in The Daily Prophet did read as though she was stepping into Narcissa's shoes in more way than one.

"It does rather prove Ron's point though," Ginny said. "He always said she thought herself too good for him. And look at her now. Married to one of the richest wizards in the country."

"And I've always said, Hermione was no snob," Harry argued. "She never looked down on Ron, or your family. She and Ron just wanted different things in life."

"No, she just thought the life my parents have wasn't good enough for her," Ginny snorted. "She wasn't content to just be Ron's wife and the mother of his children. She wanted more."

"Like you did?" Harry questioned with an arched eyebrow. "You didn't exactly follow in your mother's footsteps, Gin. Yes, you're a wife and mother, but you're so much more than that. You played quidditch for a living, and you loved it so much, you carried on playing after you had James. You have a life outside of our family, and that was all Hermione ever wanted."

"Maybe," Ginny conceded, not sounding too convinced. "This is going to kill Ron."

"Why should it matter to Ron?" Harry asked. "He's happily married with his first child on the way. I know he loved Hermione, but you can't deny he loves Lavender and the pair are a much better fit."

"They are pretty good together," Ginny agreed. "But anyone would be hurt to find out their ex is married to a rich old guy, even if he is rather sexy."

"You think Lucius Malfoy is sexy?" Harry questioned with a grimace.

"Yes," Ginny answered honestly and quickly. "Don't get me wrong, he's a complete and utter bastard and I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, but he's got sex appeal. And I guess there must be something about him if Hermione's married him. Unless she did marry him for the money."

"Hermione would not have married for money," Harry insisted. "She would only have married for love."

"We should see for ourselves," Ginny suggested. "We've always supported Hope, so let's go to the garden party. Then we can find out exactly how Hermione ended up as Mrs Malfoy, and see for ourselves what sort of marriage she has."

Even though Harry knew Ginny only wanted to attend the party for the gossip, he found himself agreeing to sort them a pair of tickets. He also really wanted to attend the party, but not for the gossip. He couldn't care less why Hermione had married Lucius. All he wanted was to see his old friend again, and maybe see if they could start afresh. It had been too long since Hermione had been in his life, and he wanted to put that right and reignite their friendship. Even if she was now a Malfoy and married to a wizard old enough to be her father.


	2. Chapter 2

For the upcoming garden party, the main section of lawn nearest to Malfoy Manor had been freshly cut and was in the process of being decorated for the big event. Tables were being placed around the lawn, and perfectly decorated by a team of expert party planners, while caterers had been hired to provide the food and drink. All in all it was a professionally organised event, but that still didn't stop Hermione Malfoy from personally overseeing the preparations.

On the morning of the garden party she could be found in the gardens of the manor, supervising every little detail. Hermione was aware that she was likely being a nuisance to the professionals who had been hired to make sure the event went without a hitch, but she just couldn't stop herself from fretting. The truth was, she was extremely nervous about the garden party, and more than anything she wanted the afternoon to be a success. Especially as tickets had sold out within forty-eight hours of going on sale, and demand had been so high, that they'd extended the party and added another batch of tickets which sold out within a day.

Hermione had been blown away when Lucius had asked her to take over as ambassador of Narcissa's charity. She knew how much the charity had meant to Narcissa, and therefore to Lucius, and she knew just how big of a deal it was for him to ask her to take the helm. And while it was an honour, she also felt a great responsibility to live up to Narcissa, and to not let down the charity she'd worked so hard to get off the ground. The last thing Hermione wanted was to mess up and make Lucius regret his request that she take the place of his beloved wife as the head of Hope.

Although it wasn't just being the new face of Hope that was filling Hermione with nerves. It was the thought of facing the press after so long. Hermione had never really taken to the press attention she'd received after the war, and it had been a relief when her job had meant not being in the country as much. Elsewhere in the wizarding world she was just a normal witch, so it was going to take some getting used to being back in the public eye.

And it wasn't as if Hermione could put off dealing with the press as there was going to be a small press presence at the garden party. Primarily they would be there to cover the event and report on Hope's resurgence, but Hermione wasn't stupid and she knew a lot of the attention would be on her personally. After all, she wasn't just being launched as the face of Hope, she was being introduced to Wizarding Britain as a member of one of their most prominent families. Today was her official coming out as a Malfoy.

Trying not to think too much about what lay ahead that afternoon, Hermione focused on making sure the area they were going to use for the party was exactly as she had envisioned it. Even though she'd worked closely with the party planner and her team, she still wanted to make sure they delivered the vision she'd described to them. Fortunately they were very good, and Hermione was delighted with how things were progressing.

As she flitted around the gardens, not really needed, Hermione caught sight of a figure watching her from the nearby rose garden. Turning to the figure, she found Draco Malfoy, leaning against a wooden bench, his grey eyes watching her every move. Aware that he'd caught her attention, Draco gave her a wolfish grin, arched his eyebrow at her, before turning and sauntering off the in the direction of the lake and its gazebo.

Unable to help herself, Hermione abandoned her unnecessary supervising of the preparations and casually followed after Draco. Even though she'd only been at the manor a short time, she easily followed the path through the rose bushes to the beautiful, picturesque lake. Crossing the small bridge, which led to the rose covered gazebo in the centre of the lake, Hermione paused when she found no sign of Draco. Thinking that she'd gotten it wrong, and Draco hadn't been trying to get her attention, she turned to head back to the garden, only to practically run into the wizard in question.

"Don't sneak up on people," she scolded, stepping back in surprise at finding the handsome blond wizard right behind her.

"You can't have been taken by surprise, you were the one who followed me," Draco chuckled.

"But I didn't expect you to sneak up behind me," Hermione argued.

"You should know by now to expect the unexpected when it comes to me," Draco whispered in her ear as he moved around her and settled himself on the bench running around the gazebo. Reaching out his hand for Hermione, he gently tugged her down beside him.

"I really should be getting back," she muttered.

"Why? Everything is in hand back there. You were just being a nuisance."

"Is that why you appeared to distract me?" Hermione chuckled. "To save the party planners from me?"

"I came to distract you for the fun of it," Draco returned with a smirk as his hand slid under Hermione's skirt.

"That could be fun," Hermione agreed as Draco's hand crept higher up her leg. "But what if someone comes looking for us? What if the party planner wants to speak to me?"

"The party planner is doing just fine on her own," Draco replied, his fingers brushing against the lacy material of Hermione's knickers.

"What if your father comes looking for me?" Hermione gasped as Draco's fingers slid past her knickers. "He's bound to want to check how arrangements are going for this afternoon."

"Father is in the manor with Scorpius," Draco said. "There's just us here. No-one is going to disturb us."

"You hope," Hermione retorted, her eyes sliding shut and a low moan falling from her lips as Draco's dexterous fingers penetrated her.

"I know," Draco countered, shutting Hermione up once and for all by pressing his lips against hers.

As always when Draco's lips were on hers, and his hands were all over her, Hermione couldn't help but respond. She often thought their physical attraction was like an addiction as neither of them could ever get enough of each other. And Draco was the only person who had ever made her forget herself and just let go. When she was with him, she could forget that she was a wife and a mother and had responsibilities. When she was with Draco, it was all about the two of them.

From the second she'd chosen to follow Draco, Hermione had known how it would end. And sure enough it didn't take long for Draco's trousers to come down, her skirt to be hiked up and the pair of them to be wrapped around each other. Since they were outside, and despite Draco's arguments to the contrary anyone could find them, they didn't remove all of their clothing. However, that didn't stop their pleasure, and even half dressed their hands and mouths were still all over each other, even exploring the flesh that was still hidden by clothes.

"You're such a bad influence," Hermione gasped, her fingers digging into Draco's shoulder as she felt the pressure building inside of her.

"You love it really," Draco panted, grinning down at Hermione as his hand dipped to where they were joined and his fingers worked to tip her over the edge.

Hermione's reply turned into a cry of joy as Draco's ministrations did the job and she went tumbling over the edge into bliss. Seconds later, Draco joined her and the pair lay in disarray as they recovered their senses.

"Did that get rid of some of the tension?" Draco asked once they were recovered enough to break apart and start redressing.

"Is that why you seduced me?" Hermione asked with a smile. "You wanted to help me relax."

"You've been fretting about this damn garden party for days," Draco returned with a shrug. "Nothing father or I were saying to ease your nerves seemed to be working, so I thought I would try a direct approach. But did it work?"

"I'm much more relaxed," Hermione conceded. "But I am still nervous about this afternoon. It's such a big deal, Draco. I want everything to be perfect. I don't want to disappoint Lucius."

"You couldn't disappoint father if you tried," Draco snorted. "He loves you, Hermione."

"I know, and I love him," Hermione replied. "But it's still important to me that today goes well."

"You're going to be amazing," Draco assured her, squeezing her hand. "Have faith in yourself, Hermione."

"You will be there this afternoon, won't you?" Hermione checked as she pulled out her wand and used magic to make sure she was presentable.

"I promised you and father I would be there, and I won't let you down," Draco answered.

"Thank you." Flashing Draco a smile, Hermione gave him a peck on the cheek. "I should get back now. I need to make a final check on things, and then I need to get ready."

"You're going to be great," Draco promised her as they crossed over the bridge.

Draco walked with Hermione back to the gardens, but while she headed off to check the final preparations were in hand, Draco headed into the manor. He'd done all he could to help Hermione relax. Now it was up to her to let go of her worries and just enjoy the afternoon.

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In his private study, Lucius Malfoy braced himself for the afternoon ahead with a strong glass of firewhisky. It had been a while since his last public appearance, and truth be told, he was slightly nervous. There was a time Lucius wouldn't have thought twice about attending a public event, or speaking with the press, but first the war and then losing Narcissa had changed him.

The war had shaken Lucius's world to the core, and the man who emerged from it was a far cry from the man he used to be. The beliefs he'd been raised on had been dented, his pride had been shattered and the fact his beloved family had suffered because of his choices had almost broken him. It had been the love of Narcissa and Draco that had gotten him through those dark days, and Lucius honestly believed that without them he wouldn't have managed to get his life back together after the war.

But he had gotten his life back on track, and for a time he was happier than he'd ever been. Then Narcissa had fallen ill, and before he knew it, he had lost the love of his life. Since Narcissa's death, Lucius had been a shadow of himself and it was only recently that he'd started to come back to life. He still missed Narcissa, and knew he always would, but he knew his wife wouldn't have wanted him to spend the rest of his life moping around. She would have wanted him to move on and live again, and that was exactly what he was starting to do.

The relaunch of Hope was the perfect platform for Lucius to return to public life, and quite honestly he was relieved he wasn't going to be handling the attention on his own. Hermione would be by his side, and he had every faith that together they could put on a good show and make Narcissa proud.

"This is for you, sweetheart," he whispered to the framed picture of Narcissa he kept on his desk.

Finishing his firewhisky, Lucius took a deep breath, and taking one final look at his wife's picture, he headed off to face his public. As arranged, Lucius would make his entrance with Hermione once they were sure all the guests had arrived. Although there were no stragglers, and in fact most people had arrived early, eager to get a good look at Malfoy Manor and the new Mrs Malfoy.

"Are we all set?" Lucius asked Hermione as they received word that everyone had arrived, and they were just waiting for their hosts.

"We are," Hermione replied. "I won't let you down, Lucius. I'll make both you and Narcissa proud."

"I never doubted it for a second," Lucius said, smiling at the young witch as he took her arm to escort her out into the party like a gentleman.

Drawing strength from each other, and knowing that for the next couple of hours, all eyes would be on them, Lucius and Hermione made their triumphant entry into the garden party. Since their arrival was expected, all eyes were on them, and the press photographer snapped several pictures of the couple emerging from the manor.

"It's show time," Lucius whispered to Hermione, before clearing his throat and grandly announcing that Hope's garden party was officially underway and the fun could begin.


	3. Chapter 3

Taking in their beautiful surroundings, not to mention the very liberal sprinkling of press, Harry couldn't help but wish that he and Ginny were attending the Hope garden party alone. However, they hadn't been the only ones to see the newspaper article about Hermione's return. Ron had also seen it, and he and Lavender had decided to buy tickets for the afternoon, even though they'd never supported the charity in the past.

Harry had tried to subtly talk Ron out of attending the party, but he'd stopped short of actually telling his friend that he thought the whole thing was a bad idea, and it was asking for trouble. For a Gryffindor, an Auror and a war hero who'd faced off with the darkest wizard the country had ever known, Harry had a surprising lack of bravery when it came to his best friend. To be honest it was his inability to tell Ron what he really thought, that had led to him losing contact with Hermione. He was so concerned with not upsetting Ron, that he'd lost the witch who had been like a sister to him. And now her big day was in jeopardy because he hadn't been brave enough to either tell Ron not to attend, or at the very least warn him not to cause trouble.

"Ooh look, here they come," Lavender suddenly cooed as a wave of anticipation rippled around the gathered crowds.

Turning towards the manor, Harry watched as Hermione and Lucius stepped into the garden, arm in arm. The photographers were straight there to snap pictures of the couple, something which they seemed to take completely in their stride. Lucius then announced the party could begin and music began to play as waiters and waitresses appeared offering trays of drinks.

Taking the drink his wife had taken for him, Harry watched as Hermione and Lucius moved in different directions. His eyes stayed rooted to Hermione as she slipped through the crowds, clearly charming everyone she met. She looked right at home, sipping champagne and chatting to the upper echelons of high society, and Harry couldn't help feel a stab of envy at her ability to adapt. Even though he was an adult and father of two, Harry still felt like a child playing at being a grown-up whenever he was at an event like this one.

While Harry's focus had been on Hermione, the others had been taking in the rest of the party, and he turned away from watching his old friend when he heard Ginny and Lavender exclaiming over the fact they'd just spotted Draco. Following their line of sight, Harry easily spotted the tall, handsome blond wizard. He was standing with another tall, handsome wizard and a stunning blonde witch. Harry recognised the couple as Blaise Zabini, Draco's closest friend from his latter years at Hogwarts, and Blaise's beautiful wife, Daphne Greengrass. However, his main focus was on an adorable baby, the spitting image of Draco and wearing a mini baby tuxedo, which Draco was holding in his arms. The child looked to be around one year old, and Harry watched the way its tiny grey eyes darted all over the place, seemingly drinking in the party around him.

"Maybe we were wrong," he whispered to Ginny. "It looks like Malfoy is back."

"Who says its permanent?" Ginny countered. "I've never heard anything about his return home. He could well just be here for the party. I guess if he hadn't been here, questions would have been asked. I wonder what he thinks of his new stepmother?"

Guessing they would find the answer out over the course of the afternoon, or at least the official version as he couldn't imagine the Malfoys airing any family difficulties in public, Harry joined his friends at settling down at one of the tables. Officially tea would be served later, but anyone could sit down whenever they chose, and with Lavender being pregnant, she couldn't stay on her feet as long as the others. Although to be fair, Harry was quite content to just sit and watch what was happening, and be relieved that so far Ginny hadn't made any attempt to grab them some media attention. Not that he expected it to last all afternoon and he fully expected he would have to talk to a reporter before the party was over.

As Lavender and Ginny gossiped, and Ron glared daggers at Hermione, Harry watched the way his best friend and Lucius worked the party. Together they made sure that everyone of importance was spoken to, and that everyone they talked to was made to feel special and welcome. Harry did wonder which one of them would approach them and talk to them, but he wasn't even sure if Hermione even knew they were there. She hadn't had a minute to herself since emerging from the manor, and every-time she ended a conversation with someone, there was always someone else ready to take their place.

Suddenly getting his eye on Lucius, Harry watched as he approached Draco and after a few words, he took the little boy from his son. Harry watched the way the boy reached for Lucius, and the genuine smile that crept over his face as he chatted to the baby in his arms. Noticing that Ginny and Lavender had gone quiet, Harry glanced over at them and saw that they were also watching Lucius and the baby. The only one not watching was Ron, but a nudge in the ribs from his wife changed all that.

"It can't be," Ron muttered, shaking his head as Lucius strode towards their table, the baby still tucked in his arms.

Harry braced himself for whatever Lucius had to say to them, but all of a sudden a pretty young witch popped up from nowhere and asked Lucius for an interview. Amicably agreeing to the interview, Lucius and the reporter settled at the table directly beside them. Not that either of them gave the foursome a second look, and Harry was beginning to wonder if they were all invisible. Not only had Hermione not looked their way once, but Lucius was sitting just beside them and hadn't even glanced in their direction. But still, it allowed them to listen to the interview Lucius was about to give, and that would hopefully answer the questions Harry still had in regards to how Hermione ended up as a Malfoy.

"This is quite the party," the young reporter said with a smile as she introduced herself as Lucy and produced a magical quill and some parchment so she could take notes.

"It is," Lucius agreed with a nod. "Not that its my doing though. Hermione organised the entire thing."

"As well as taking over as the head of Hope," Lucy remarked. "How do you feel about that?"

"If I wasn't happy about it, I wouldn't have suggested it," Lucius drawled, rolling his eyes as he positioned the baby on his lap so he could see the party better.

"It was your suggestion that Hermione took over as the patron of Hope?"

"It was," Lucius confirmed. "And I can think of no-one better for the position. My wife set up the charity because she cared deeply for others and wanted to help those less fortunate then herself, and Hermione embodies those very qualities. She is a very caring person, and like Narcissa, she wants to help people. I can think of no better witch to carry on my wife's legacy."

"Do you think Narcissa would have approved of the appointment?" Lucy asked.

"I believe she would approve," Lucius replied. "She just might not approve that it took me so long to do something with her charity. I regret to say, I've rather let my wife down when it comes to Hope in the last few years. I neglected the charity because it was a painful reminder of what I've lost."

"What changed?" Lucy asked, clearly engrossed in the interview where she'd gotten more from Lucius than she ever could have imagined.

Although she wasn't the only one engrossed by the interview. At the next table over, Harry and the others were listening to every word with baited breath. And it hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone that Lucius kept referring to Narcissa as his wife, and his tone took on a softer quality when he spoke about her.

"I would say this little man," Lucius replied with a smile as he jiggled his knee and caused the small boy to laugh infectiously. "Scorpius changed everything. He brought light back into my life, and reminded me that I still had a life to live. He reminded me that Narcissa wouldn't have wanted me to mourn her forever. She would have wanted me to move on and live my life to the full. It's certainly what I would have wanted for her, if the positions had been reversed and I'd been the one to die first."

"Have you moved on?"

"As much as I am able to," Lucius answered quietly, a wistful look filling his grey eyes as he gazed over the gardens his wife had loved so much. "Narcissa is, and always will be, the love of my life. I was blessed to have such a love in my life, and I would never seek to replace it. Narcissa will always be in my heart, and I will love her until my dying day. But it is because of that love that I am carrying on with my life. I am not hiding away any more. I intend to make the most of my family, and that means spending as much time as possible with the new love of my life."

"I thought you said that was your wife?" Lucy remarked with a frown.

"Scorpius," Lucius clarified, ruffling the baby's light blond hair. "He's the light of my life, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure I live long enough to watch him grow up into the fine young man I know he will become."

"Speaking of fine young men, what does your son think of your new lease of life?"

"Draco is thrilled by it," Lucius chuckled. "He was nagging me for a long time to stop moping around. He understood long before I did, that it wasn't what Narcissa would have wanted. But it was Hermione and Scorpius who finally brought me back to life. Our family is growing, and I don't want to miss a second of it."

"And how has Hermione settled into life as a Malfoy?" Lucy asked. "She seems to have taken it in her stride," she remarked, glancing over to where Hermione was charming the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt.

"She's a natural Malfoy," Lucius answered with a proud smile. "I really couldn't have asked for a better addition to the family. And I have every faith that she can carry on my wife's legacy and make us all proud. Would you care to meet her?"

"That would be great," Lucy gushed. "I'd love a few words from her as well, it would really complete my article."

As Lucius and the reporter got up and headed over to where Hermione was still chatting with Kingsley, Harry shared a shocked look with the others. While Lucius's interview had been very frank, and a lot more revealing that Harry had expected, it had also shed a lot of light on his relationship with Hermione. Even Harry couldn't deny that Lucius cared for Hermione, but it was equally clear that he didn't love her, or at least he didn't love her anywhere near the same way he'd loved his wife.

"That was brutal," Ginny finally whispered. After what she'd heard, she couldn't help but regret her recent catty thoughts about Hermione, and in fact felt a burst of sympathy for the witch who had once been her friend. "When that interview comes out, Hermione is going to be a laughing stock."

"Serves her right for marrying a prick like Malfoy," Ron snorted.

"I actually feel sorry for her," Lavender said, her confession taking everyone by surprise as they all knew she'd never really liked Hermione.

"Seriously?" Ron looked at his wife as though she was crazy.

"Yes, seriously," Lavender confirmed. "She may have the big house, designer clothes, expensive jewellery and more money than she would ever know what to do with, but she doesn't have the most important thing."

"And what is that?" Ron asked moodily.

"The love of the man she's married to," Lavender said, smiling at her husband. "The most important thing in my life, is you, Ron. So yes, I feel sorry for Hermione being married to someone who is clearly still in love with his dead wife. You heard Lucius, she will never compare to Narcissa. She may have given him another child, and a reason to live again, but she still hasn't done enough to earn his love. And she never will. Lucius will never be in love with her, and I think that's sad."

"Maybe," Ron conceded. "But Hermione is not stupid. She'll have known that Lucius didn't love her when she married him. She gave up love, to be mistress of all this," he announced, spreading his arms wide and gesturing to their lavish surroundings.

"I agree with Lavender, it's sad," Harry whispered, glancing over to where Hermione was now holding the little boy and chatting to the reporter Lucius had introduced her to, while Lucius was now joking with Kingsley.

Looking at Hermione, he would still have said she was happy, but now he was wondering how much of it was a front. As Ron had said, she wasn't stupid, and she would be well aware of the fact that her husband didn't truly love her. So how happy was she really? Or was she living in a gilded cage, regretting the choices she'd made?


	4. Chapter 4

From the second she and Lucius stepped out of the manor, Hermione had found herself in high demand. It seemed nearly everyone at the garden party wished to speak to her, and since she was determined to make sure the charity continued to be successful, she didn't want to snub anyone. Fortunately, Lucius was also making the rounds and she was confident that between them, they charmed all the guests.

She was so busy that she didn't even have time to check on Scorpius. Luckily, she knew he was with Draco, therefore she knew he was safe. In fact she barely had time to take a breath, and she felt as though she'd been schmoozing for hours when Lucius approached her, carrying Scorpius, and introduced her to a reporter. Hermione chatted to the young witch for a few minutes, instantly taking to the girl, before she was finally able to take a break and have a few moments with Lucius and Scorpius.

"I think there's something you need to know," Lucius informed her quietly. "Potter, Weasley and their wives are here."

"Where?" Hermione gasped, glancing around the party, but trying not to look too obvious about it.

Lucius subtly directed her gaze in the right direction, and for a moment, time stood still as Hermione took in the sight of her former friends. They all looked happy, and seemed to be enjoying themselves, but she couldn't help but wonder if they'd come to cause trouble. Given the press interest in her return, and her new position within Hope, she knew she would have to deal with her past, but she hadn't honestly expected them to turn up at the garden party.

"Do you want me to get rid of them?" Lucius asked, actually sounding rather pleased with the idea.

"No, I will not allow anything to ruin today," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Let them stay and enjoy themselves. But now, I do believe it's time for tea."

With a nod of his head, accepting what Hermione wanted, Lucius announced it was time for tea and urged everyone to take their seats. Seating plans hadn't been provided, with Hermione feeling it was better for people to sit where they liked and with whomever they chose, so it did take a while for everyone to be seated. But once everyone was seated, she got to her feet, after passing Scorpius over to Draco, who had managed to nab a seat on the top table alongside her and Lucius.

"I want to thank you all for coming," she began with a smile, allowing her gaze to drift over everyone, but being careful not to linger on the table where her friends were sitting. "As you all know, Hope was founded by the late Narcissa Malfoy, and she worked tirelessly to ensure that it was an organisation that aided all those in need. I aim to carry on her legacy, and it is a genuine honour for me to carry on the work where she left off. None of us would be here without Narcissa, so before we begin, I would like us all to raise a glass to the wonderful and kind witch who founded Hope, and gave help to those who needed it in their darkest days. To Narcissa, may she always be remembered."

"Narcissa," everyone chorused respectfully as they raised their glasses to the founder of the charity.

As Hermione retook her seat, the now free Malfoy house elves, and a select group of more free house elves she'd hired for the occasion appeared with the food. While the elves were serving tea and sandwiches, Hermione quietly checked that Lucius was okay. She knew the day was likely to be overwhelming for him, and she knew that his emotions were so raw when it came to Narcissa, that he was unable to hide them as he usually did. For once in his life, Lucius was an open book, and Hermione knew that everyone at the party would be able to see how much he was missing his wife.

"Your speech was lovely," he assured her. "Narcissa would be proud of you. Just like Draco, Scorpius and I are proud of you."

"I wouldn't want to let the family down," Hermione joked, wanting to keep things light-hearted.

"You could never do that," Lucius assured her, giving her hand a squeeze before turning back to the afternoon tea which was now laid out on every table.

As she enjoyed her tea, and tried to focus on being engaging for the other people on the top table, Hermione tried not to let thoughts of her old friends invade her mind. However, she couldn't help but steal glances in their direction, and she couldn't stop wondering what they thought of her life. Of course, it wouldn't matter what they thought of the choices she'd made as she was perfectly happy, but she was curious as to the thoughts of the people she'd once been so close to.

Over tea, she'd decided to approach her friends once the formalities were over, but before she got a chance to do so, one of the photographers asked for a picture of the entire family. Since he was trying to make sure the focus was on Hermione, and more importantly, Hope, Draco had stayed in the background all day, and he tried to persuade the photographer that what he really wanted was a picture of Hermione and Lucius.

"Nonsense," Lucius declared as he took Scorpius from Draco and settled the young boy on his hip. "A family picture will be perfect, so get up and join your family, Draco."

"It looks like I have my orders," Draco chuckled as he got to his feet.

Arranging themselves so that the manor was visible in the background, the Malfoys posed for several pictures for the photographer. Hermione stood in between Lucius and Draco, and in Lucius's arms, Scorpius did his best to steal the show. His arms were constantly waving as he was laughing and bubbling with excitement.

"He's such an attention seeker," Lucius laughed. "He's a true Malfoy."

"That he is," Hermione agreed, giving her son a kiss on his nose. "But it is time for his nap. Even little boys who love attention need their sleep."

"I'll take him," Lucius offered. "I'd like a few minutes on my own," he added when Hermione started to protest. "But I will be back," he promised.

"Make sure you are," Hermione warned as she kissed Scorpius again and warned him to be good.

"And how are you enjoying the limelight?" Draco asked her as they watched Lucius take Scorpius inside for his nap. "It looks as though everyone wants a piece of the new Lady of the Manor."

"Luckily I was prepared for the attention," Hermione replied. "What I wasn't prepared for was Harry and Ron."

"They're here?" Instantly Draco's eyes darted around the party, stopping when they came to rest on a table filled with former Gryffindors. "Do you want me to get rid of them?" he asked.

"No," Hermione chuckled, thinking how like Lucius he sounded as he made the exact same offer as his father. "I always knew I would have to deal with them one day, I just didn't expect it to be today. But since they're here, there's no time like the present."

"You're going to speak to them now?"

"I am," Hermione confirmed with a firm nod of her head.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Draco offered.

"No, I'll be okay."

Giving Draco a grateful smile, she left him watching after her as she approached her old friends. Harry was the first one to spot her approaching, and he shot to his feet with a smile gracing his lips. Still sitting at the table, Ginny and Lavender looked pretty nonplussed by her approach, but Ron was frowning.

"Hermione," Harry gushed, scooping her up into a hug once she was close enough.

"Hello Harry," Hermione chuckled nervously, rather taken aback by Harry's greeting. Even when they'd been friends, she didn't think he'd hugged her so fiercely.

"I've missed you," Harry said by way of explanation as he blushed slightly by his exuberant greeting.

"Me too," Hermione said softly. "Can I sit down, and we can talk?"

"Of course," Harry said, eagerly offering Hermione a seat and sitting down beside her.

"Ron," Hermione greeted, nodding politely at her ex-boyfriend. "Ginny," she added, turning to Harry's wife before moving onto Ron's wife. "Congratulations on the baby, Lavender."

"Thank you," Lavender said, her hand automatically rubbing at her bump.

"I see you've moved up in the world," Ron sneered.

"Not now, Ron," Lavender hissed, very aware of the presence of so many press. The last thing she wanted was for them to make the papers because they got into a slanging match with the Malfoys at a charity event.

"Let him say his peace," Hermione said calmly. "Come on, Ron, tell me what you think."

"I think this proves I was right," Ron hissed, keeping his voice down as he leaned over the table towards Hermione. "I always said you wanted more than I could give you. And you can't get more than what the Malfoys can give you."

"Let me get this straight," Hermione said tightly. "You're calling me a gold-digger?"

"If the cap fits," Ron sneered. "Why else would you marry a Malfoy?"

"Love," Hermione answered simply. "I feel in love and got married, it's as simple as that. And as for wanting more than you could give me, Ron, we simply wanted different things. I wanted to travel and have adventures before I settled down. It wouldn't have been fair to ask you to put off living the life you wanted, just as it wouldn't have been fair for me to settle and live a life I wasn't ready for. But from where I'm sitting, it's all worked out. I'm happily married, and from what I hear so are you."

"We are happy," Lavender said, taking hold of Ron's hand.

"Very," Ron added smugly.

"I'm pleased for you," Hermione said, genuinely happy for her ex and his wife.

"And we're pleased for you, if you are happy," Harry said. "You are happy, aren't you, Hermione?"

"Yes, I'm happy," Hermione confirmed with a smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're married to a git who doesn't love you," Ron scoffed, seemingly unable to stop himself from being petty.

"Ron," Ginny hissed, glaring warningly at her brother. Recent revelations had changed how she was feeling towards Hermione, and rather than resenting the brunette witch the life of luxury she clearly led, she now felt sorry for her and she thought it was unfair of Ron to rub her nose in her loveless marriage.

"Why do you think my husband doesn't love me?" Hermione asked, focusing on Ron who didn't seem at all ashamed of his nasty behaviour, despite the fact he was on Malfoy property. "I can certainly understand why you would be shocked by our union, but do you honestly think I would be foolish enough to marry someone who didn't love me?"

"We know he doesn't love you, Hermione," Ron informed her. "We heard him talking."

"And what exactly did he say to lead you to think he doesn't love me?" Hermione demanded. "Because I happen to know, my husband does love me."

"No, he doesn't," Ron sneered. "He's still in love with his dead wife."

"Dead wife?" Hermione frowned slightly before she began to chuckle softly. "You think Lucius is my husband."

"What do you mean, think?" Harry asked, quickly picking up on Hermione's wording, not to mention her amusement.

"It looks to me as though you've put two and two together and came up with five," Hermione said, still chuckling slightly. "If I had been married to Lucius, then you're right, he wouldn't have loved me. He is still very much in love with Narcissa, and always will be. But Lucius is not my husband, he's my father-in-law."

"Father-in-law," Ginny echoed, feeling sheepish for jumping to conclusions.

"But that means..." Ron spluttered, seemingly unable to finish the sentence.

"That I am married to his son," Hermione finished for her ex. "Draco is my husband. And just for the record, Scorpius is our son. Lucius is his grandfather."

"But the paper called you the new Lady of the Manor," Lavender pointed out. "It pretty much implied you were taking Narcissa's place in all aspects."

"Technically, I am Lady of the Manor," Hermione admitted. "Lucius signed the manor over to Draco when we retuned to England. Even though it is still his home, and always will be, Draco and I own it."

"Sorry Hermione, we just jumped to conclusions," Harry apologised with a wince.

"I guess I can see how it could have been misleading," Hermione conceded with a shrug as she made the decision to be the bigger person. It would be so easy to take offence and have her former friends removed from the party, but not only did she not want to cause a scene, she also didn't want to be that petty.

"That happens when you wander around as though you were married to Lucius," Ron remarked. "You can't deny how much of a couple you've appeared to be this afternoon."

"This afternoon has all been about Hope," Hermione pointed out. "Draco didn't want to take the attention away from the charity, so he's stayed in the background. And I can bet you that no-one else here thought Lucius and I were married."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Ron muttered, not able to rest without getting the last word in.

"Can we just forget about it?" Hermione asked. "I'm not going to hold any grudges over what you thought, and I would like to think that the past could be put firmly behind us. I'm not saying lets be instant friends again and pretend as though nothing has happened, but we are going to be living in the same country, and the wizarding community is fairly small. I would at least like to think we could be civil to each other. Especially given what we once meant to each other. You were my best friend, Ron, you and Harry. I don't want to forget that friendship, and what it meant to me."

"I don't want to forget it either," Harry said quickly. "Come on, Ron, let's put the past behind us. You're happy with Lavender, so why hold grudges against Hermione. Once the three of us were so close, you can't throw something so special away."

"Harry's right," Lavender said reasonably. "We're happy, so what harm would it do for you to let bygones be bygones and forgive Hermione. You don't have to be best friends again, but you can move on and be nice to each other. I don't want our child to grow up with a rivalry with the Malfoys. I don't want him, or her, to get to school and find themselves in a feud with Hermione's son just because of their surnames. Surely, you don't want that either. You don't want a repeat of what happened between you and Malfoy."

"I guess not," Ron conceded with a sigh, unable to fight his wife's logic. "But I will not make friends with Malfoy," he warned Hermione. "You and I can forget the past and move on, but there will be no friendship between myself and Malfoy."

"Understood," Hermione said. To be honest she didn't expect a friendship between Ron and Draco, and if she was being brutally honest, she didn't even expect a full friendship between her and Ron. The best she was hoping for was tolerance and form them to be polite to one another when their paths crossed.

"Maybe we could have dinner together," Harry suggested. "Just the three of us," he added, suddenly realising that he and Ron couldn't bring their wives to the dinner if Ron was going to refuse to have Hermione's husband there.

"I could manage dinner," Ron said with a sharp nod.

"It sounds good," Hermione agreed. "Send me an owl, Harry, and we can make arrangements. But I think now, that I should be getting back to mingling. I don't want anyone saying I'm neglecting my duties."

"I'll be in touch," Harry vowed with a smile as Hermione got to her feet and saying her goodbyes wandered away from her former friends.

Hermione wasn't entirely sure dinner with Harry and Ron was the best idea, but she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to see if her old friendships were well and truly lost to her. But more importantly, she'd averted a scene, and the garden party hadn't been ruined. The day still belonged to Hope, and Hermione was confident the press coverage would be positive for the charity, and for the Malfoys.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione was thrilled with the press coverage the garden party generated. Even though she was the focus of a few of the articles, most of them focused on the re-emergence of Hope. For the first time in years, people were talking about the charity again and not only were general donations, and offers from people wanting to help, on the rise, but the garden party was the most successful fundraiser the charity had hosted since Narcissa had still been around and running things. It was certainly a good start to Hermione's time in charge of the charity, and she fully intended to build on it.

Hermione was also planning on exploiting her status as a Malfoy to push the charity to even greater heights, as following the garden party, they were the family everyone was talking about. Not only was Lucius back in the public eye, but the incredibly heartfelt and honest interview he'd given to Lucy, had been a big hit and for the first time ever it had shown the wizarding public the man behind the Death Eater mask. And even though he'd kept to the background for most of the party, Draco had still managed to grab some attention, and the press was buzzing at the fact he was back in the country with a beautiful wife and adorable son by his side. And of course, Hermione herself was in high demand and everyone wanted the story on how a muggleborn like herself had become a Malfoy.

Even though she'd never been a fan of living her life in the spotlight, Hermione had always known that it was inevitable once she and Draco returned to England, especially when she'd agreed to take over the running of Hope. But in the weeks following the garden party, Hermione had kept a low profile as together the Malfoys had worked out the best way to deal with the press. In the end they'd decided to offer interviews often enough to keep the hounds at bay, but not to court publicity, and not to cause a fuss over the inevitable interest in their lives. If they wanted to use the press to keep Hope in the public eye, then they would have to accept that they would have slightly less privacy than they would like.

But even with the acceptance of the price they would have to pay to keep the press onside, the Malfoys weren't too worried about privacy. The manor was still one of the most secure buildings in the country, and even the press couldn't get close enough to snap any unwanted paparazzi photographs. So as long as they were in the grounds of Malfoy Manor, family life could carry on as normal.

And that was exactly what was happening one lazy Sunday afternoon, a few weeks after the garden party. With the weather being absolutely glorious, Hermione had suggested a picnic for lunch and the elves had excelled themselves. In fact the remnants of the picnic were still spread out on a blanket beside Draco and Hermione, and there was still plenty for people to nibble on.

Draco was sitting propped up against a large tree, to offer his pale skin some shade, while Hermione lay beside him, her head in his lap. And at the edge of the small lake, a few meters away, Lucius was sitting with Scorpius and the pair were fishing. A spell on a small fishing line attracted the fish, and once they were reeled in and Scorpius said hello to them, they were released back into the lake totally and utterly unharmed.

"This is the perfect way to spend the day," Draco remarked with a contented sigh as his fingers trailed through his wife's thick curls.

"It is," Hermione agreed with a smile as she watched Scorpius waving enthusiastically at a duck which had swam towards him and Lucius. "Your father seems much more at ease now the garden party is over."

"He needed to get back to some sort of normal life, and normal for him, is not hiding away from the world," Draco said. "Now he's faced the world, I think he's realised it's not as scary as he was building it up to be."

"It can't have been easy for him," Hermione said softly. "In his shoes, I'm not sure I could have been so brave. Narcissa's presence was all over that garden party, and it must have been so tough for him."

"I'm sure it was," Draco replied quietly. "It was hard for me, so I can only imagine how tough the entire thing was for him. As much as I miss Mother, and feel her loss every day, I know it's so much harder for Father. He's lost the love of his life, and if I was to think about losing you in the same way, I don't know if I would be able to cope."

"You would cope because you would have to," Hermione said, turning her head to smile up at her husband. "You're like Lucius, stronger than you look."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Draco returned with a half smile. "In my experience, it's the women in our family who are stronger. You and Mother are the two strongest women I've ever known."

"We wouldn't want the Malfoys having weak wives, would we?" Hermione joked. "You need a thick skin to be a Malfoy."

"That you do," Draco agreed with a smirk. Right now the press loved them, but he was well aware of how fickle the media could be, and he knew it was only a matter of time before some less than savoury stories started to circulate about the family.

"And I think I'm going to need my thick skin tonight," Hermione said, turning her head so she could once again watch Scorpius and Lucius.

That evening she was due to have dinner with Harry and Ron, something she was both dreading and looking forward to. On one hand, it would be great to talk to her old friends again. Despite the war cutting into their school time, and how tough it had been at times, Hermione viewed her years at Hogwarts as some of the happiest times of her life, and that was mainly because of her friendship with Harry and Ron. But she couldn't ignore the bitter break-up she'd had with Ron, or the way she'd drifted out of contact with Harry. In an ideal world they would be able to move past the difficulties and reignite their friendship, but Hermione knew it wasn't an ideal world, and she quite honestly didn't know what to expect of the evening.

"If Weasley says anything out of line, hex him and come home to me," Draco advised. "If he's just going to cling to the past and be an obnoxious toad, you don't need him in your life."

"True," Hermione agreed, having already decided that the second chance she was giving Ron was more than he probably deserved, and if he blew it then that was it and he wouldn't be getting another chance to hurt her. "And what about Harry? Or do you just think Ron will be the one causing trouble?"

"Weasley could cause trouble in an empty house," Draco sneered. "I think of the two, he's the more likely to be problematic. He always was the most aggressive one in school. I often wondered what Potter would have been like without Weasley whispering in his ear. I don't think he's as naturally argumentative. And I would like to think he values the friendship you gave him when you were younger. After all, if it hadn't been for you, he would have been dead long before he got a chance to defeat The Dark Lord."

"I'm sure he would have survived without me," Hermione shrugged as she sat up.

"Bollocks," Draco snorted. "He needed you, Hermione. Not only did you constantly help save his life, but you always had his back. You never once turned away from him out of jealousy, or ran off because you were scared. Even when it meant putting your own life in danger, you were there for him. And if he doesn't appreciate that and see what an amazing friend you were to him, then he's the world's biggest prick, and quite honestly doesn't deserve your time."

"You're only biased because you love me," Hermione teased.

Giving Hermione a small smile, Draco pulled her towards him and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "I only know these things because I know how lucky I am to have you. I never gave you one reason not to hate me, but yet you still found it in your heart to speak to me when we ran into each other in Paris. You even agreed to have a drink with me, when I certainly didn't deserve it. And you love me, even though you should be with a far better man than me. I know how precious you are, so I know how big of a knob Potter would be if he didn't appreciate you."

"Thank you." Smiling softly at her husband, Hermione gently ran the back of her hand down the side of his face. "But for the record, there is no better man than you. Or least, not for me. Part of the reason I love you, is because I'm so proud of the way you've grown up. Most of the time, I don't recognise you as the boy I went to school with. You've matured, Draco, and you're proof that people can change. You're proof that people can break free, and be whoever they want to be. And you, Draco Malfoy, have become a wonderful man, a loving husband, and a great father. And I couldn't ask for more."

"You better stop with the sap, or I'll start crying," Draco joked, his voice think with emotion.

As she knew he'd meant her to do, Hermione chuckled and shook her head at her husband. Even though she could hear the emotion in his voice, she doubted it would be enough to make him cry. While he was a lot more open with his feelings than when they'd first started dating, her husband didn't do a lot of crying. In fact the first time she'd ever seen him cry was when Narcissa was first taken ill and the family were warned that she wasn't likely to survive. However, since his mother's funeral, where he'd cried like a baby afterwards, Hermione wasn't sure she'd seen him cry. Unless you counted the few happy tears he'd shed when Scorpius had been born.

"What are you two up to?" Lucius suddenly called as he and Scorpius made their way back to the picnic throws. "Nothing inappropriate, I hope," he smirked as he settled down and helped Scorpius toddle over to where Hermione was sitting.

"Inappropriate?" Draco arched his eyebrow at his father. "In the middle of the day, with you and Scorpius a few feet away? What do you take us for?"

"The randiest couple I've ever met," Lucius replied silkily. "I wasn't sure if it was safe to return until Hermione sat up and moved her head out of your lap."

"You think we would do that in public?" Draco questioned.

"It's hardly public, we're in our garden," Lucius retorted. "Besides, nothing beats the thrill of doing something naughty in semi-public."

"Please do not say any more," Draco begged his father with a groan. "I don't want to picture you and mother up to all sorts in public."

"Just how public are we talking here, Lucius?" Hermione asked, laughing as Draco shot her an annoyed look.

"Let's just say our marriage was semi-consummated long before we hit the wedding bed that night, and that was the first time we were really alone all day," Lucius answered with a devious smirk. "And then there was the time we got slightly distracted under the quidditch stands during a boring match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. And don't forget the boring anniversary dinners we used to suffer through at the Parkinsons. It's a good job they liked long tablecloths."

"Father," Draco spat, his pale complexion turning red at his father's anecdotes. "I do not need to know any of this."

"Maybe not, but it's nice to talk about your mother without getting all misty eyed and focusing on the fact we've lost her," Lucius pointed out. "It's nice to remember the good times. The fire, the passion, the daring."

"I suppose so," Draco conceded with a sigh. "But less of the details would be appreciated."

"They were not details, Draco," Lucius chuckled. "They were broad strokes of a story. Details would be telling you about the time your mother came to visit me in the office wearing nothing underneath her coat, and then having father catching us romping naked on my office desk."

"Kill me now," Draco moaned, slumping back against the tree and shutting his eyes.

"Don't tell me that Hermione hasn't done something like that for you," Lucius said.

"I haven't actually," Hermione said. "But thanks for the tip, Lucius. It sounds like fun."

"That is it," Lucius grinned. "Just remember to remove the quills from the desk. It's a bit off-putting to be tickled on the backside by a feather when you're trying to make love to your wife."

"Do you want to go and see the ducks again, Scorpius?" Draco asked as he suddenly jumped to his feet. Grabbing his son, he then wandered off towards the lake, grateful to be out of his father's way.

"The boy can be such a prude," Lucius laughed with a shake of his head as he helped himself to one of the left-over mini pork and pickle pies.

"Believe me Lucius, he's far from a prude," Hermione remarked with a smirk. "When he wants to be, he can be downright wild, and very, very adventurous."

"And now I think I know why he was uncomfortable," Lucius muttered. "I don't want to think about the pair of you getting frisky."

"I'm sure we can think of plenty of other things to talk about," Hermione chuckled, satisfied that by the time Draco returned with Scorpius the topic of his parents sex life would be off the table.

"I'm sure we can," Lucius agreed.

And ten minutes later when Draco dared to return from the lake, he found his wife and father discussing the next big function for Hope. Although the earlier mention of Narcissa in a positive way seemed to have made an impact with Lucius, and he regaled Hermione with stories of the first big events Hope held and how nervous Narcissa had been, without once getting sad. It had taken a long time, but finally Lucius was remembering the good times with his wife, and cherishing the memories they'd made together, rather than regretting the time they'd lost and focusing on the fact she was no longer with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry nervously tapped his foot on the floor as he checked his watch. Hermione would be arriving any second, and Harry was praying that the dinner went well. Especially as opposite him, Ron finished off his glass of fire-whisky and immediately summoned a waiter to order a second drink.

"Shouldn't you take it easy, Ron?" Harry asked in a low voice once the waiter had delivered the second glass and left the table.

"Why? Worried I'll get drunk and let Hermione hear a few home truths?" Ron snapped.

"What home truths?" Harry questioned with a shake of his head. "We've been over this numerous times, Ron. Hermione has done nothing wrong."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time," Ron muttered, taking a hearty swig of his drink.

"You better not mess this up, Ron," Harry warned.

For the first time, Harry had taken a stand with Ron before the dinner and he'd made sure his best friend understood how much this meeting with Hermione meant to him. He hadn't asked Ron to do anything he wasn't comfortable with, all he'd asked was for his friend to ensure that he didn't say or do anything that would cost Harry his friendship with Hermione for a second time. He'd also made it clear that if things went badly because of Ron, he would never forgive him.

"I'll be good," Ron promised with a grimace. "But for the record, despite what you say, I still believe Hermione thought I wasn't good enough for her."

"That wasn't why you didn't work out, Ron," Harry gently pointed out. "Hermione never thought she was better than you or your family. You simply wanted different things."

"Yet look at how similar our lives turned out," Ron argued. "Hermione claimed not to want a boring married life with children, yet she's married with a son."

"She never said that," Harry protested. "She just wasn't ready to settle down back when you were together. She wanted to do things, live her life, before getting married and starting a family."

"We could have done things together," Ron grouched as he finished his second drink, although thankfully he didn't order a third.

Technically, Harry agreed with Ron that he and Hermione could have lived a life together before settling down, but he knew that it still wouldn't have worked. Hermione had wanted to travel and have adventures, whereas Ron hadn't wanted to leave his family. He never would have wanted to do half the things Hermione would have liked to do, and if he'd managed it, he would have worn Hermione down and persuaded her that settling down at such a young age was what she really wanted to do. But luckily, Hermione had been strong enough to walk away from a situation that wasn't working, and quite honestly Harry thought it had all worked out for the best. Hermione seemed happy, and despite his complaining about Hermione, Ron was happy with Lavender and very much in love with his wife.

"Is she even coming?" Ron asked as he checked the time with a sigh.

"Here she is now," Harry answered, spotting the familiar figure of his old friend entering the restaurant.

Harry had picked somewhere casual for them to dine, and Hermione had dressed accordingly. She was wearing a pair of dark, skin tight jeans and a deep emerald top paired with a long white cardigan. Her hair was casually gathered at the nape of her neck with a silver rose clip, and she was wearing minimal make-up and jewellery. But even dressed as casual as she was, she oozed class and sophistication and several people turned to watch her as she followed a waiter to their table.

"Hello boys," she greeted, settling down in the one spare seat at the circular table.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry said brightly. "You look lovely."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione returned with a smile.

"Shall we order?" Ron asked. "I'm starving."

"Some things never change," Hermione chuckled.

Even Ron managed a smile at the mention of his notorious appetite, and Harry hoped it was a good sign. With any luck the evening would go better than he dared to imagine.

After placing their orders, and the waiter brought Ron a fresh drink and Hermione a glass of chilled rose wine, a slightly awkward silence descended over the table. It saddened Harry to think that they'd once been so close that there was never any awkward silences between them. But a lot had changed, and he knew that even with the best intentions things were never going to be the same again.

"Well this is thrilling," Ron drawled.

"It is a bit awkward," Hermione conceded. "I just don't know what to say."

"You could tell us about your life," Harry suggested.

"Yeah, you could tell us how you ended up with Malfoy of all people," Ron added. "What happened to your desire for travel and adventure? Did that all disappear when some rich git flashed his wallet at you?"

"Why are you so determined that I'm a gold-digger, Ron?" Hermione asked with genuine sadness. "I still don't know what I ever did to give you the impression I thought you weren't good enough for me. I loved you Ron. In fact, I loved your family as well. I didn't look down on them. I would have been honoured to have ended up as part of your family."

"Yet you left me the first chance you got," Ron sneered.

"I left you because we wanted different things," Hermione argued. "You wanted the life you've got now with Lavender. I wasn't ready for that life, but you were. I set you free, Ron. I gave you a chance to get the life you wanted, with someone who also wanted the same thing."

"But that is the life you've got now," Ron pointed out. "This life you claimed you didn't want is exactly what you've ended up with. So therefore, it wasn't the life you didn't want, it was me."

"It wasn't like that Ron," Hermione argued. "If I'd met Draco just after our break-up, I wouldn't have settled down with him either. I wasn't ready to settle down. I wanted to live, I wanted to travel and have adventures."

At that moment their starters arrived, and their was a brief lull in conversation as plates were deposited on their table

"Did you manage it?" Harry asked Hermione once the trio were alone again. Of course he knew the answer to the travelling part as the job she'd taken had involved travelling.

"I did," Hermione replied with a smile. "My job liaising for the Ministry took me all over the world, and I loved every second of it. I experienced different cultures, met different people, ate different food. I wouldn't swap those years of my life for anything in the world."

"Not even more time with Malfoy?" Ron asked. "I would give anything to have reconnected with Lavender sooner. If we'd gotten back together years earlier, we would have already had a family."

"More time with Draco would be nice, but no, I wouldn't swap my years travelling," Hermione answered with a thoughtful smile. "It was what I needed. It was only after seeing the world that I was ready to settle down."

"But why didn't you come home?" Harry asked. "Surely the Ministry could have found you a job based in England."

"I'm sure they could have, if I'd asked," Hermione agreed. "But to be honest I hadn't thought about putting down roots until I was offered a job with the French Ministry. Their offer made me think about my future. I took the job because even after all my travelling, Paris was still one of my favourite places to be. I got to have a new adventure, starting my life over in a romantic, foreign city."

"Where does Malfoy come into things?" Harry asked.

"By that point he was living in France, and one day we ran into each other at the Ministry," Hermione explained. "It seemed childish to ignore each other, so we said hello. And that might have been it if Draco hadn't been around the Ministry on a regular basis sorting a business deal. But we seemed to see each other every day for a few weeks, and when Draco asked me out for a drink, I thought why not. And the rest, as they say, is history."

"That's it?" Ron asked in disbelief. "He asked you out for a drink and that was that."

"Pretty much," Hermione replied with a nod. "That first evening we spent hours talking about the past, and I could see how much he had changed and how haunted he was by what had happened during the war. And yes, I could have held grudges for how he used to behave, or I could have accepted he'd changed and walked away. But I didn't do either. I accepted his invitation for a second drink, and from that moment on, we started afresh. We dated like any other couple, and we fell in love like any other couple."

"Huh," Ron grunted. "I sort of expected something a bit more spectacular. I half expected you to tell us he'd saved your life or something as dramatic and that was why you fell for him."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Hermione chuckled. "I can see why you would think it would need something dramatic to get us together, but in reality it only needed something as simple as Draco turning his experiences from the war into something positive. Even something dramatic wouldn't have gotten us together if he hadn't genuinely changed. He's not the boy he once was, Ron. He's grown up, and he's a good man. He's a good husband and he's an amazing father. He loves me, and he loves our son."

"I guess even I have to admit you've obviously been embraced into the Malfoy family," Ron conceded as a waiter appeared to remove their empty plates and deliver their main courses.

"I think that's enough about me," Hermione announced as they started their main courses. "I want to hear about your lives. What have I missed?"

As they ate, Harry and Ron filled Hermione in on where their lives stood now. Harry gushed about his life with Ginny, and their amazing boys, while Ron shared his excitement over his impending fatherhood. Conversation flowed easily, and Harry was hoping that it was the start of things returning to a normal footing. He was especially hoping that Ron would ease up on Hermione, when it was so very clear that not only was he over her, but he was happy with his wife.

"Maybe things did work out in the end, Ron," Hermione suggested gently as they started their desserts. "You're happy, I'm happy, but I don't think we ever would have gotten there together."

"Probably not," Ron conceded with a sigh. "I'm sorry for accusing you of being a gold-digger. I know you're not like that. And deep down, I know you never thought you were better than me. I guess I just felt bad knowing that I could never give you what you wanted. I couldn't afford to travel and have spontaneous breaks away. I couldn't give you the excitement you craved."

"And I couldn't give you the stability you craved," Hermione agreed. "Even now, I'm not sure I'd be the sort of wife you'd want, Ron. I'm stubborn, I'm opinionated, I like to be in charge, and I still don't want a big family. We might have another child, but Scorpius might very well be it for us."

"What does Malfoy think of that?" Ron asked. Hermione certainly wasn't selling herself, and she was making him grateful for Lavender, who was very easy going and very rarely argued with him.

"He's happy with a couple of children at the most," Hermione answered. "And he knew what a bossy cow I was before he married me. Although to be honest, sometimes I think he just likes a good argument."

"So you fight?" Harry asked with a frown, wondering if Hermione's marriage wasn't as happy as she was making it out to be.

"Sometimes," Hermione replied with an unconcerned shrug. "But it was always going to be that way. Can you honestly imagine Draco and I living in complete harmony without ever exchanging a cross word?"

"Not really," Harry admitted.

"So yes, we fight, but we always make up," Hermione said. "Our relationship isn't perfect, but what relationship is? Sometimes we work bloody hard to make things work between us, but we love each other and neither of us wants to be without each other."

"And what about adventure and travel?" Ron asked. "Has that craving gone, or can Malfoy deliver on both?"

"We do still travel and have adventures," Hermione replied. "And before you say anything Ron, yes the fact we have money helps with that. It gives us a freedom we might not have had otherwise. I may be married and have a son, but I still don't feel as thought I've completely settled down. I still feel free."

"You're right Hermione, we never would have worked," Ron decided with a firm nod of his head, looking as though he was only just accepting the fact himself. "I wouldn't change my life with Lavender for anything. She's what I want."

"And I'm so pleased you've found her," Hermione said with a warm smile. "I really am pleased you're happy, Ron. It's all I ever wanted for you."

"I can see that now," Ron conceded. "And I'm glad you're happy."

"I'm just glad we're friends again," Harry said with a broad smile. "We are friends again, aren't we?" he checked, suddenly wondering if he'd jumped the gun.

"Yes, we're friends again," Ron said, smiling at Hermione. "And in time I might even come to get to know Malfoy. But I still need time to adjust, Hermione. I can't promise miracles."

"I don't expect miracles," Hermione replied. "To be honest, this is turning out better than I'd hoped. And even if you and Draco are never friends, it doesn't matter. I don't need you to be friends with my husband. I am allowed a life outside of being a Malfoy you know."

"And does that life include us again?" Harry asked hopefully. "Even if we were stupid enough to think you were married to Lucius?"

"If I can forgive Draco for the past, I can forgive you two for making assumptions," Hermione assured the pair. "Besides, I actually went back and re-read that article and you were right, it did make it sound as though I was married to Lucius. There's no hard feelings, and let's move on. We've been given a second chance with our friendship, so let's take it."

With the trio in agreement that only an idiot would turn down a second chance at what had once been a valuable friendship, they toasted their new start. It was unexpected that Hermione and Ron had reached an understanding, but it helped that both of them had found true happiness with other people. Considering they were both happy with other people, it was hard to argue that their break-up hadn't been for the best. It had given them both a chance at real love, and they'd both managed to achieve it – Ron with Lavender and Hermione with Draco.

**The End!**

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**A/N – Thanks to everyone for reading this story, and thanks for all the lovely reviews I have received. As always the positive support I receive keeps me writing and publishing, and it's greatly appreciated. Even the smallest review makes my day. I know some people would have preferred Hermione to react differently towards Ron in this story, and maybe if I'd written it at a different time that might have happened, but as with everything I write, the outcome often depends on my mood when I'm writing a particular scene or story. Anyway, this was the way Lady of the Manor turned out, and I hoped that on a whole people enjoyed it. Thanks again for your support, and I'll be back soon with my next story. **


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